Lowest Full Moon of the Year: Astronomers Talk About the Strawberry Moon

The full moon that will occur on June 11, 2025, promises to delight observers with an unusual effect: the Moon will be unusually low above the horizon in the northern hemisphere, which will increase in size and change color. Astronomers from the Perm Polytechnic University and the Sternberg State Astronomical Institute spoke about this natural phenomenon and other full moons of this summer.

The full moon is the peak of the lunar cycle, which usually lasts 29.5 days. At this time, the disk of our planet's satellite is exactly opposite the Sun and is fully illuminated by it. On Earth, the tides increase at this moment.

The next full moon will occur on June 11 at 10:44 Moscow time. However, visually the Moon will acquire an almost perfectly round shape from the early hours of June 10. The June full moon is the lowest full moon of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, while in the Southern Hemisphere the Moon, on the contrary, occupies the highest position above the horizon at this time.

– Once every few years, the Earth's satellite is at its northernmost and southernmost points, depending on the ecliptic (the plane of rotation of the planets around the Sun. – Author ), – explains Alexey Berezhnoy, a senior researcher at the GAISh Department of the Moon and Planets. – The Moon's lowest position in this cycle was last year, but in 2025, despite the fact that, according to calculations, the Moon should be slightly higher, we will not see this visually. It will, like about a year ago, rise above the horizon by only 6 degrees in the south and set 2.5 hours later in the southwest. The difference with last year's height will be insignificant – only fractions of a degree.

Such a low position above the horizon will make the Moon visually 20 percent larger than its real size. This is due to the atmosphere of our planet, which acts as a magnifying lens. By the way, because of this same "lens", the Moon will acquire a reddish tint due to the absorption of reflected sunlight in the atmosphere.

The June full moon is commonly called the Strawberry Moon, but this is not due to the reddish hue of the moon itself during this period, but to the fact that strawberries ripen in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth at this time. The name "Strawberry Moon" comes from the culture of American Indians. But NASA has come up with another name for the June full moon - "LRO Moon". They connected this with the fact that in June 2009, their scientists launched the artificial satellite of the Moon Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). In China, this full moon is even called the Lotus Moon.

According to Evgeny Burmistrov, a teacher of astronomy and deputy director of the Polytechnic School of the Perm Polytechnic University, the next full moon after the Strawberry Moon will occur on July 10. It will be called the Deer Moon.

The full moon of the second summer month got its name in honor of the growth of reindeer antlers, which were considered an important source of food for many Indian tribes. The moon on this night promises to be juicy and bright, says Burmistrov.

As for the August full moon, which will occur on the night of August 8-9, it is called the Sturgeon Moon. This name was also given to our night luminary by the Indians, who at this time of year were engaged in the extraction of sturgeon fish in the Great Lakes of North America. Depending on the ripening of fertile crops, the August Moon is also called the Cherry Moon, Rice Moon or Grain Moon by different peoples.

To observe the full moon, Evgeny Burmistrov recommends going to an open area where there is no light from urban development.

By the way, the popular belief that it is better to see details on the surface during a full moon is not confirmed. According to astronomers, at this moment its brightness can be increased by 20-30 percent, due to which the surface seems to be filled with silver light. According to professional observers, it is more difficult to see details of the surface of the Earth's natural satellite at this time due to the lack of shadows.

But it is still worth trying. Thus, with the help of binoculars, one can examine in detail large dark areas on the Moon. These are the so-called lunar seas, which are in fact ancient lava plains. Also, with the help of the simplest optics, craters (some reaching hundreds of kilometers in diameter) and mountain ranges can be seen on the Moon. If you arm yourself with a telescope, then objects ranging in diameter from 5 kilometers to the smallest relief details, including chains of small craters, will open up before the observer.